Our very own Jeanne stars in this knitting instructional video demonstrating how to do a mitered double decrease and a left-slanting double decrease. We hope you enjoy it!
How to do a Mitered Double Decrease and a Left-Slanting Double Decrease
Jeanne demonstrates two methods to decrease two stitches at a time, the Mitered Double Decrease allows the top stitch to make a nice neat vertical line and the Double Decrease, also called a Left-slanting Double Decrease in your work.
A Mitered Double Decrease is sometimes called a Centered Double Decrease.
This stitch is abbreviated as "s2kp or CDD" in patterns
- With the knit side of your fabric facing, slip the first two stitches from the left-hand needle as if to knit.
- Knit the next stitch.
- Then, using the tip of your left needle, pick up the two stitches you slipped and slide them up and pass them over the knitted stitch and off of the needle.
Voila! You've just decreased two stitches!
Double Decrease or sometimes called a Left-slanting Double Decrease
This stitch is abbreviated as "sk2p" in patterns
- With the knit side of your fabric facing, slip the first stitch from the left-hand needle as if to purl (some sources instruct you to slip this stitch knitwise.)
- Knit the next two stitches together.
- Then using the tip of your left needle, pick up that first slipped stitch and pass it over the stitch that remains from knitting two together and off of the needle.
Note the similarities in the abbreviations of these two stitches. They are easily confused.
- s2kp = Mitered Double Decrease
- sk2p = Left-slanting Double Decrease
One more tip from Jeanne: "An unwritten rule in knitting is that you always slip stitches as if to purl unless the pattern specifically states to slip as if to knit."
Now you know how to do two different double decreases and each one gives a different look to your projects.
Have fun and learn something new each day!
